Princess Tutu Awakens
by ERiN OPPEL
Summary: AU. Once upon a time, a prince had vanished. The Final Draft led by a crafty raven has cursed the town and will not stop until Prince Mytho has been destroyed. With the support of her Freedom Fighters, Raetsel is desperate to find Mytho and gain his help. She has sent her most reckless member to the bookshop, where an old ally has discovered a clue to Mytho's whereabouts...
1. The Lost Shard

**AKA "If** _ **Princess Tutu**_ **Happened Like** _ **The Force Awakens**_ **".**

 **While watching** _ **Princess Tutu**_ **for the first time, I noticed that some characters shared similarities with characters from** _ **Star Wars: The Force Awakens**_ **. I decided to make this AU fanfic to explore those similarities, and because the wait for Episode 8 is unbearable.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any** _ **Princess Tutu**_ **characters or the plot for** _ **The Force Awakens**_ **!**

 **UPDATE: I decided to slightly revise all the chapters in this story (except for the author's notes because I'm lazy) before starting the sequel, which I will probably start uploading sometime next month. Thank you for your patience!**

* * *

Princess Tutu Awakens

 _By Erin Oppel_

Once upon a time, a prince had vanished. In his absence, the sinister Final Draft led by a crafty raven had cursed Gold Crown Town and will not stop until Prince Mytho has been destroyed. With the support of her Freedom Fighters, Raetsel is desperate to find Mytho and gain his help in restoring the town back to normal. She has sent her most reckless member to the bookshop, where an old ally has discovered a clue to Mytho's whereabouts…

Chapter 1: The Lost Shard

"This will begin to make things right," the old bookshop owner said with conviction. His frail hand reached over his desk and placed a ruby-coloured jewel pendant in the hands of his young visitor.

Lillie clutched the pendant to her chest and squealed in delight, "Ooh! Adventure! Mystery! Danger! I love it!"

The bookshop owner sighed. "Just make sure the information gets to the Freedom Fighters. If the Final Draft gets their hands on it, I'm afraid our story is doomed to have a tragic ending."

The blond girl waved her hand dismissively and said, "Yeah, yeah, don't worry. The Final Draft has no idea where I am!"

Just then, a small childlike puppet burst through the door, beating wildly on the toy drum she was carrying, and exclaimed, "Lillie-zura! The Final Draft is coming, zura!"

"Well isn't this an exciting turn of events!" Lillie declared.

But the bookshop owner's eyes clouded with dread. "Hurry, you must leave!"

Lillie waved to the bookshop owner as she ran to the exit. "Thanks! You can count on me, sir!" With her puppet companion, Uzura, following closely behind, she ran in the direction of the town square. "This is, by far, the most important mission I've ever been on!"

As she neared the nightly bonfire, a group of figures began to emerge from a dark alley on the other side of the square. Despite being men and women from the town, they resembled an imposing army. However, none of them were more feared than their leader- a cloaked knight with an unflinching gait and cold heart.

Lillie recognized them immediately and skidded to a stop. "Oh no! The Final Draft!"

Uzura bumped into Lillie's leg. "Ow!" She rubbed her forehead and asked, "What are we gonna do now, zura?"

Lillie smiled nervously at the unfettered advancing crowd. "Ah…" She glanced down at the pendant in her hands, then back to the crowd. Then back to the pendant. Then to Uzura. She tossed the pendant at her friend. "Not my problem anymore!"

"Whaaa?" Uzura cried as she caught the object. Seeing the group getting closer, she ran off into the darkness.

Lillie nonchalantly continued making her way through the square, thinking, _Maybe if I pretend to be just an innocent civilian taking a midnight stroll, they'll just ignore me! Oh, I'm so clever!_ "Good evening, everyone!" she greeted with a salute as she approached them.

Two of them subsequently grabbed her arms and the rest surrounded her.

… _Oh, darn!_ Lillie giggled in fear as the leader stood in front of her. "C-can I help you?"

His face was unreadable thanks to the gray metal mask he always wore. It muffled his voice only slightly as he spoke frigidly, "The Heart Shard to Prince Mytho. We know you were the one sent to retrieve it. And now you'll give it to the Final Draft."

Lillie smiled and replied mockingly, "Aw, it's too bad you didn't find me sooner! You see, I don't have it anymore. Must've dropped it!"

"You LOST IT?!"

Everyone's heads turned to the bookshop owner nearby. He panted heavily, apparently out of breath from running to the scene.

Lillie shook her hands at him. "Aaah! I swear I didn't! I—" She quickly shut her mouth and whipped her head back to the leader. "I mean, yes! I did lose it! …Wow, I'm really bad at this."

The knight, having lost either interest or patience with her, walked up to the old man. "I should've known you had it."

The book owner replied unwavering, "Nothing good would've come out of me giving it to you. Don't you understand your story-spinning powers are getting out of control?" He urged, "You cannot deny the role you were born into, Fakir."

The hooded knight almost seemed amused. "You're right." In one swift motion, he drew his iconic Lohengrin sword up high, fire reflecting off the blade, and brought it down upon the old man.

A frightened yelp escaped from the crowd before it was quickly stifled.

Fakir slowly turned in the direction it came from and saw a young pink-haired girl in the front row trembling. He recognized her as Pike, one of his newest followers. When she caught his gaze, she stood up straight and forced a composed expression.

A gust of wind blew next to him, scattering black feathers and preceding the arrival of his third in command. Kraehe, a princess in a black tutu, expertly twirled to the ground.

"Where have you been?" Fakir asked, not bothering to hide his annoyance as usual.

Kraehe's ruby eyes narrowed, but her expression remained sly. "I was with my father," she replied coolly. "He had hoped you would have found the Heart Shard by now without any assistance."

Fakir tightened his fists. "I was making swift progress."

She cast a glance to Lillie and asked him, "What do we do with the captive?"

The knight began to walk away as he ordered, "Bring her with us. We can interrogate her back at the base."

Throwing her head back dramatically as she was dragged away, Lillie said, "For the first time, _I'm_ the damsel in distress! Is there anyone who can rescue poor, cute Lillie?"

* * *

The incident of the previous night had gone unnoticed by the unaffiliated civilians of Gold Crown Town. That morning, it was business as usual for store owners and their customers. It was also just a normal day for a certain young ballet student at the academy.

Duck, as she called herself, struggled through her classes once again. She loved ballet very much, but found herself to be awfully clumsy and uncoordinated compared to her much more elegant and graceful peers. Often times she had to stay after school to mop the floors as punishment for dancing poorly, and as her teacher approached, it looked like today was no exception.

"Miss Duck!"

She fumbled to get her ballet slippers off. "Y-yes, Mr. Cat?"

The anthropomorphic cat glared down at her. "It seems you were unfocused again. If you don't pass this course…" He towered over her, baring his fangs and threatened, "You will have to marry me!"

Duck cried out and scrambled to her feet. She grabbed the bucket and mop that were against the wall and rushed out the door with a jumbled cry of, "I'msorrysiritwon'thappenagain!" When she was far enough down one of the halls, she allowed herself to stop and catch her breath. "Phew, that was close," she sighed to herself. "I guess I better get to work."

She headed outside to the faucet at the back of the building and filled her bucket. Mechanically, she started to scrub the first floor of the academy. Duck was lost in thought, daydreaming about being a beautiful ballerina like the professionals she'd seen perform at her school. How she admired them! She vowed to continue to work hard and become just like them. Then maybe she might like herself a little.

Duck let out a soft groan and stared at her reflection in the bucket. "Oh, who am I kidding? I'll never be that good or pretty. Seems like the only thing I'm best at is cleaning the floors…" she muttered. Duck finished the rooms on that level and went back to the faucet.

The sun was starting to set by the time she finished. Arms and legs aching, Duck trudged in the direction of her dorm. She passed by the river along her way and was startled by a scream.

"Somebody help me, zura!"

Duck whipped her head around, but the voice sounded farther down the river. "Hang on, I'm coming!" she called out, breaking into a sprint. She saw someone flailing about in the water- a small girl with mint-green hair. "Oh no!" Duck gasped. Without hesitation, she leapt into the river and swam towards her. "Don't worry, I got you!"

The little girl clutched the jacket of Duck's uniform as she pulled her to safety. "Thank you, zura!"

Duck settled the girl onto dry land. Collapsing beside her, she breathed, "Are you ok?"

The child nodded enthusiastically. "You saved my life, zura!"

Upon closer inspection, Duck realized that the girl was actually a puppet. "Who are you?"

"Uzura!" she answered cheerfully. "What's your name, zura?"

"I'm Duck. What are you doing all the way over here?" Duck wondered, squeezing the water from her long ginger braid.

The puppet winked and responded, "Not allowed to tell; it's a secret, zura!"

Duck frowned. "Oh." It must've been nice to be entrusted with an important secret. "That's ok. I just wanted to know who you belong to so I can help you get home."

Uzura stared at her with wide violet eyes. "You will help me find my friends, zura?"

"Of course!" said Duck. Now that her limbs had had a chance to rest, she stood up and motioned for Uzura to follow. "It's getting late now, but tomorrow we can start looking." She headed for her dorm.

Uzura bounced happily after Duck, beating on her toy drum.

* * *

 **I haven't been writing fanfiction in a while, so forgive me if I'm a little rusty. I should also note that not everything from the movie is going to have a PT counterpart, that includes characters and scenes. Reviews are much appreciated, but flames will not be tolerated. This won't be a very long story and I plan on updating every Monday, so be sure to check back!**


	2. Allies

Chapter 2: Allies

Lillie jolted awake when she felt a slap across her face. "I'm not sleeping in class, sir!" she yelped, briefly delusional. When her eyes came into focus, she saw Fakir towering over her. She sighed in relief. "Thank goodness! I thought I was gonna get detention for sure!" She tried to move, but she had been tied to a wooden chair. The room she was in appeared to be some kind of broom closet.

"Somehow, you've managed to resist my interrogators," Fakir began, sounding barely impressed. He added dryly, "Either that or they gave up due to annoyance." He held up a notebook he'd been holding and flipped to a blank page.

Lillie laughed. "Aw, are you gonna try to scare me with a book? How cute!"

Ignoring her, Fakir took out a quill pen and started to write on the page.

Lillie's laughter died down as she felt a strange sensation come over her. Suddenly, she felt like she had to confess what she did with the Heart Shard. "No! Mustn't…tell…"Lillie strained to keep her mouth shut.

"'But the stupid girl was too weak to resist the power'," Fakir read aloud as he wrote, "'so she admitted what she had been futilely trying to hold back."

Lillie's eyes glazed over and she stopped struggling. "Ok. I gave it to…"

A minute later, Fakir emerged the room and went up to his second in command, Autor. "It's with a puppet- a small girl with a toy drum," he informed.

Autor smirked and pushed his glasses up his nose. "It must still be in town somewhere. I will send someone to capture it." He walked off while Fakir went in another direction.

From her hiding spot behind a door, Pike swept her gaze down the hallways to make sure no one was coming. Her heart pounded from what she was doing. If she got caught, well… She didn't want to think about that. When the coast was clear, she snuck into the room Lillie had been kept. She saw the girl still tied to the chair, but otherwise unharmed.

"Oh, are you room service?" Lillie asked. "Because I could go for a jelly-filled donut!"

Pike quickly shook her head. "What? No, no! Shh!" She started to untie her as she hurriedly explained, "Listen to me. I'm gonna get you outta here, but I need your help to escape. Can you ride a horse?"

"A daring rescue! We're totally best friends now! And of course I can ride a horse!" Lillie proclaimed. Once she was free, she quietly followed Pike down the halls. "Where are we?" she whispered as if she were discussing the latest gossip.

"Under the library," Pike answered softly. "Nobody outside of the Final Draft knows about this place."

"So why do you want to escape the Final Draft anyway?" Lillie asked curiously. She gasped in delight. "Is it because something traumatic happened to you here and each passing day you're reminded of that misery?"

"Shhh!" Pike hissed. "And no. I just think Fakir's completely nuts and his way of doing things is not what I signed up for." Ignoring Lillie's disappointed groan, she led her up a staircase until they came to the main library floor. They snuck around the large bookcases to avoid any Final Draft members that were still hanging around. Eventually they made it outside without being seen, much to Pike's surprise. She went up to where the horses were standing.

Lillie pet one of them on the nose and cooed, "Aw, you're such a cutiepie! Yes you are!"

Pike untied the horse's reins from the post and held them out to her. "All right, let's go."

"Why are you giving those to me?"

"You said you could ride a horse!"

The blond girl laughed. "Oh, silly Pike! _Anyone_ can ride a horse! You just have to sit on its back and let someone else pull you around!"

Pike gaped at her in disbelief. Unfortunately, there was no time to come up with another plan. Sighing in frustration, Pike climbed into the saddle while Lillie got on behind her. "Easy, boy…" she told the animal, unsure if it understood directions.

A voice shouted, "Hey! What are you doing?"

Pike looked up and gasped. A Final Draft member started running towards them. "Go!" she yelled, kicking the horse. It started to gallop away, and Pike found it harder than she expected to control while she bounced in the saddle. Behind her, she heard Final Draft members shouting to each other and then multiple hoofbeats followed them.

"Weeeee!" squealed Lillie. "Faster, faster!"

"I'm trying!" Pike saw people in the street in front of them, so she quickly pulled the reins left and right to avoid them. "Hey, I think I'm getting the hang of this!" She was able to guide the horse through alleyways and streets in a desperate attempt to lose their pursuers.

Lillie spoke up, "Hey, let's go to the academy!"

"What? Why?"

"Because that's probably where my friend Uzura went! She loves music, so she might want to play her drum with the music students!"

"We can't go there now, the Final Draft will capture us!" Pike scolded. "We need to hide!"

"Oh, but I must find her! She might be in trouble, and I want to see it!" She added casually, "Oh yeah, and she's got this thing that'll show the way to Prince Mytho."

Pike groaned, "You gotta be kidding me!" Turning the horse again, she took them out of the main part of town and towards the river. She glanced behind and to her relief she didn't see the Final Draft anywhere. Either they were too far behind or they had given up. "I guess we're safe for now." She looked ahead and saw the river right in front of them. "WHOA!"

The horse neighed and halted, but not without bucking both the girls off.

"Aaaaaaaahhh!" they screamed as they fell into the water.

The current was stronger here, and Pike felt herself being swept away. She tumbled around for several seconds before managing to surface. Gasping for air, she paddled to the riverbank and hauled herself out. "Lillie?" she rasped, letting out a quick cough. Pike gazed around, but the blond girl was nowhere to be seen. "Lillie?" she asked louder. Perhaps she had gotten out further down the river.

Or perhaps…she hadn't.

Pike looked down solemnly. Despite finding Lillie annoying, it was at least nice to have company while she escaped. Now she was alone again, and she had no idea where to go.

* * *

Autor slammed his hand on the desk and yelled at his underling, "Well, do something about it!"

"Is there a problem, Autor?" Fakir asked, walking up to him.

Autor turned around and scowled. "Where have you been? Our prisoner escaped, with help from one of our own. Witnesses think it was a girl—"

"The new girl, Pike," Fakir interjected.

Briefly wondering how he knew, Autor just chalked it up to Fakir's powers. "Sure, whatever. Point is, we have no Heart Shard, and we have no leads."

"How many times do I have to tell you?" a different voice interrupted. Princess Kraehe sauntered up to them and went on, "A crow army is more effective than regular human soldiers."

Autor crossed his arms, hating how his co-leaders kept thinking that they were smarter than him. "Fine. Go send one of your squads into town," he muttered to get Kraehe to stop nagging.

The dark-haired princess chuckled. With a wave of her arm she summoned a black wind that manifested in the form of five anthropomorphic crow soldiers. "Search for the puppet with the drum and bring her back here!" she commanded.

The crows cawed in response and departed.

* * *

Duck knew she would get in big trouble for skipping class, but she needed to get Uzura back to where she came from. After all, she would want someone to do the same for her. The two of them had walked around town for an hour, but Uzura didn't see anyone she recognized.

Seeing the girl puppet looking a little discouraged, Duck heartened, "Don't worry, I'm sure your family is looking for you too."

Uzura returned the smile. After thinking for a moment, she gazed at her and asked, "Where is your family, Duck-zura?"

Duck shrugged and glanced away. "Actually, I don't know. One day I just woke up in the attic of my dorm with no memory of how I got there or who my family was." She chuckled and rubbed the back of her head. "Sounds unbelievable, right?"

Uzura shook her head. "Nope, zura!"

Duck blinked in surprise. "Really?"

"Really-really, zura!"

"Oh." Duck smiled and kept walking, only to stop when she heard Uzura gasp. "What is it?"

Uzura pointed in front of them at a girl trudging tiredly across the street. "I saw her with the Final Draft, zura!"

Duck stared at the girl. Strands of her pink hair were matted to her face and her school uniform was wrinkled. "Her?"

Uzura charged at the girl and tackled her legs.

"Aah! What the?" She tried shaking the puppet off. "Let go!"

Uzura repeatedly whacked her with her drumsticks. "What did you do with my friend, zura?!" she demanded.

"Stop it! I don't know what—" Then the girl's eyes filled with recognition. "Uzura?"

The puppet stopped and backed up, but still glared suspiciously at her.

Duck ran up to them. "Sorry! She's just trying to find someone."

The pink-haired girl nodded. "She's trying to find Lillie. I helped her escape after she was captured by the Final Draft, but then we fell into the river." She looked sadly at Uzura. "I'm sorry. She didn't make it."

Uzura frowned, glancing away.

The girl cleared her throat and asked Duck, "Anyway, my name's Pike. What's yours?"

"Duck. I'm not affiliated with anyone, I'm just trying to help Uzura," she explained.

"Yeah, Lillie told me she's got something that'll lead the way to Prince Mytho."

Duck stared at her with wide eyes, almost not believing her. "Prince Mytho? I thought he was just a character from a fairytale!" She'd read the storybook before: _The Prince and the Raven_. It was a long time ago, but she remembered how much she admired the prince for his courage and selflessness.

"I thought so too, but—" Pike cut herself off, eyes focused behind Duck. "Uh-oh."

"What?" Duck turned around, doing a double-take at a group of humanoid crows with swords. They must've been from the Final Draft.

Then they all glared at them.

Pike grabbed Duck's arm and cried, "Run!"

"Whoa!" Duck felt herself being yanked to the side. She tried to keep up as Pike led her through the town. "Come on, Uzura!" she told the puppet, seeing her lagging behind.

"I am not fast, zura!" was her reply.

Duck reached out her hand and Uzura leapt up, grabbing it. The three of them kept running like that until they came upon a shop with the door open.

"In here!" breathed Pike. She dragged them inside and immediately shut the door. They crouched under the window and watched nervously as the crows came into view. Then the villains continued down the street, and they released the breaths they'd been holding.

"Thanks, Pike," Duck panted, leaning against the door. "I thought we'd get caught for sure."

"And just who might you be?" came a gruff voice behind them.

Startled, the three girls turned around and gasped.

* * *

 **Please review! Writing fanfiction takes time and effort, so getting feedback is encouraging!**


	3. The Raven

**This is where things start to get interesting...**

* * *

Chapter 3: The Raven

Kraehe was rarely nervous, but delivering bad news in the presence of a possibly volatile Fakir was enough to set her on edge. Simply being the Raven's daughter didn't guarantee her safety. "I regret to tell you that my soldiers were unable to capture the puppet."

Fakir barely glanced at her over his shoulder. "Five magical soldiers…couldn't catch one simple puppet?" he deadpanned.

"It had help," she emphasized. "They said Pike was with it, along with another girl." She gasped in alarm when Fakir suddenly whirled on her and seized her arms.

"What girl?" he hissed.

* * *

Duck cowered as a tall, older man stood frowning at them with his arms crossed. "If you're not gonna buy anything, I suggest you get out of here," he told them.

Pike waved her hands and spoke up, "Sorry mister, we were just running away from the Final Draft."

At that, the man's expression softened. "That so? In that case, stay as long as you like." He walked over to a desk and began working on something.

"Oh, thank you so much!" Duck said gratefully, standing up. "My name's Duck, and these are my friends Pike and Uzura."

"I'm Karon," the man introduced. "This is my blacksmith business, and my home."

Uzura ran up to an elaborately decorated sword and pulled on the hilt. "Whoa, cool swords, zura!"

"Hey, hey! That's not a toy!" Karon grabbed Uzura by the collar and tugged her back.

After admiring some of the weapons on display, Pike had an idea and she asked, "Hey, Karon? Maybe you could help us. We're trying to get Uzura back to the Freedom Fighters' base, but with the Final Draft patrolling the town—"

"No," he said at once, turning back to his work. "I said you could stay, but I'm not helping you."

"What? Why not?" Pike demanded.

When he didn't answer, Duck revealed, "But Uzura's carrying a Heart Shard to find Prince Mytho!"

Karon stopped moving. Then he put down his tools and when he turned around to face them, his eyes were filled with hope.

"The characters from that story…" said Duck softly. "They're real, aren't they?"

Karon admitted, "I didn't want to believe it at first- storybook characters coming to life, playing their parts in the real world." He looked her straight in the eye. "But it's true. The Prince, the Raven…all of it."

"How is that possible?" Pike wondered.

"Many years ago, they escaped the book after the author, Drosselmeyer, died before he could finish it," the blacksmith explained. "They battled, and Mytho ended up shattering his own heart to seal away the Raven in another dimension. Mytho wandered around, searching for the pieces of his heart in order to restore his emotions." He hesitated, as if reluctant to continue, but he went on, "There was a boy who believed himself to be the brave knight from the story. He tried to force Mytho to stop his quest, and thereby stopping the story, but the Prince ran away and disappeared. He hasn't been seen since."

The girls sat in silence, taking this information in. Pike clenched her fists determinedly and said, "Then we gotta help find Mytho at all costs!"

Karon sighed heavily. "I won't be able to sneak you to the Freedom Fighters' base, but I do have a friend who can. We can leave now if you want." He started to clean up.

Duck agreed, "Thanks! The sooner we return Uzura, the sooner I can get back to the academy."

"Why does everyone want to go back to the academy?" Pike grumbled. Then she perked up and asked Duck eagerly, "Ooh, is it because you've got a boyfriend? Is he cute?"

Duck quickly shook her head and denied, "No! I just have lots of ballet practicing to catch up on." Boyfriend, as if. No one's ever shown an interest in her.

Karon finished putting away his things and headed for the door. He looked over his shoulder at them and said, "Do exactly as I say and everything will be fine, got it?"

* * *

The dimension the Raven inhabited was bleak and sunless. White feathers, as tall as trees, dotted the barren landscape. The Raven himself was gigantic, but all that could be seen of him were his glowing red eyes.

While such a sight would have unnerved an ordinary person, Fakir remained stoic behind his mask, awaiting his Master's words.

"The Heart Shard will soon be delivered to the Freedom Fighters, leading them to the Prince," his deep voice rumbled. "If he returns, the story will continue."

Standing beside him, Autor adjusted his glasses nervously and said, "Master, I apologize for th—"

"Be silent, Autor!" the Raven shouted, huge talons stabbing the ground in front of the boy. "We must change our strategy."

Trying to regain his composure, Autor cleared his throat and offered, "If we follow the puppet to the Freedom Fighters, we can wipe them all out before they can find Mytho."

The Raven considered. "That would be acceptable," he conceded. "You may go."

Fakir slowly turned his head to Autor, who casted him a pretentious glare before leaving. Fakir faced the Raven again when he continued to speak.

"A new character has awakened. Have you felt it?"

"Yes," he replied. He could sense the newcomer's presence by how the story was starting to pick up again, though he could not be sure who it was.

"There is something else. The puppet we seek is with your father…" the creature went on, leaning closer. "Karon."

Fakir swallowed. This was certainly unexpected, but he was not one to show his surprise. "He means nothing to me," he said in a leveled voice.

"You may be the leader of the Book Men, but this test may prove to be your most challenging yet."

Fakir resolved, "I swear I will do what is necessary."

The Raven appeared to be satisfied. "We shall see."

* * *

"So, why are we here again?" Pike asked Karon as she, Duck, and Uzura followed him through the forest.

The man responded, "I told you, to find my friend who can take you to the Freedom Fighters."

Duck's eyes wandered, taking in the quiet, refreshing scenery of the forest. She'd never been this far into the woods before. It wasn't long before they came to a house that looked like some kind of restaurant.

Karon opened the door for the girls and followed them inside. "Just let me do the talking, ok?" he said.

Duck nearly jumped as a very cheery lady in an apron appeared in front of them.

"Karon!" the woman practically shouted.

The restaurant went silent and everyone stared at them.

"Oh boy," Karon muttered in embarrassment. He waved weakly and acknowledged, "Hey, Ebine."

"It's been a while!" she said. "Allow me to take you to your table."

They went after her to an empty table in the corner of the restaurant. Duck was surprised to see so many people here; it seemed like such an out-of-the-way place that she thought no one would know about it. After all, she didn't.

Once they had been seated, Ebine asked, "What can I get you?"

Karon answered, "We'll all have the special, please. And is Edel in today?"

Ebine wrote on her pad as she said, "Of course! I'll get her right away." She hurried off.

Pike whispered to Karon, "You sure it's safe here?"

"Don't worry, it's inconspicuous enough that the Final Draft wouldn't think to look here."

A pretty woman with an interesting hairstyle walked up to them. "Hello, Karon," she addressed demurely, and Duck could see she had quite the opposite temperament as Ebine.

"Good to see you, Edel." Karon gestured to an empty chair. "You got a minute?"

* * *

Fakir sat alone in his dark chamber, contemplating. So. Karon was back in the mess of things. He cringed, remembering the last conversation they'd had. "He's still wrong about me," he murmured aloud.

He'd been holding his copy of _The Prince and the Raven_ open to the scene before the knight's battle with the Raven. Despite his confident words, he was still unwilling to flip the page. "Damn it. Why can't I do it?" Instead, Fakir turned to the back of the book where he'd tucked an old photograph in place of the unfinished ending. He focused on it and spoke determinedly, "Even if the story continues, I won't let you down. Every day I feel my power growing stronger. I will finish what you started, Grandfather."

He carefully shut the book over the photo of Drosselmeyer.

* * *

Duck had never tasted such delicious food in her life. She almost felt bad when Karon wanted to order dessert for her, but he had insisted that it was his treat. By the time she had cleaned her plate, Karon was finishing his story to Edel.

"And so that's why they need you to get them safely to the Freedom Fighters," he concluded.

The woman shook her head gently at him. "You have been running from this for too long."

"I told you before, I'm not welcome there," Karon sighed.

Pike spoke up, "Please, Miss Edel, we really need your help."

From the corner of her eye, Duck noticed Uzura had wandered away from the table. "Oh, Uzura!" she called, getting up. "Sorry, I'll get her." Duck weaved through the crowded tables and people that were walking by. "Uzura, come back!"

The small puppet didn't seem to hear her. She continued to beat her drum and tottered down the stairs.

Duck chased her to the basement and finally caught up in one of the rooms. "Uzura!" she panted, taking her hand. "What are you doing? It's not polite to be in places you're not supposed to!"

"Sorry, Duck-zura," she apologized.

"Let's go back—" She stopped, something unusual catching her attention. Against the wall stood a familiar-looking sword in a display stand. It took her a moment to remember where she'd seen it before.

 _The Prince and the Raven._ Prince Mytho's sword.

* * *

 **I thought about including a scene where the Ballet Troupe and the Drama Club demand their investment back from Karon but he and the girls escape when the electric eels get loose, but then I realized that would be more pointless than the Rathtar scene in** _ **TFA**_ **.**

 **Please review!**


	4. Awakening

**I'm saving some characters for the sequel, if I ever make one.**

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Chapter 4: Awakening

"It…can't be…" Duck inched closer, reaching out with her hand. She couldn't help but curiously touch the pair of swans decorating the hilt of Mytho's sword.

Then the sword disappeared. In fact, the whole room disappeared, replaced by a foggy lake.

"What?" Duck gasped, backing away from the edge of the water. The lake turned black, then the giant face of an old man with white hair and crazy eyes grinned up at her.

"Hello there, little Duck," he said.

She cried out, spun around to run away, but the face was now in the sky between the trees. "Who are you? What's going on?"

The man chuckled. "You still don't know who _you_ are, do you? Allow me to enlighten you."

A large gear floated in from her left and when Duck looked inside, she saw a small, yellow bird sitting among the reeds on the lake. Just as she was wondering why the man was showing this to her, the duck started to glow. Then it transformed into a human girl.

No. It transformed into _her_.

Duck stared. "That's impossible! I'm not a duck!" She turned away, but another gear was in front of her. It pictured herself transforming again, but this time it was so bright that she was barely visible. All she caught was a dress that resembled a tutu. "I don't understand…"

The gear now showed the man's face. "Yes, I'm afraid you're only a duck. That means if you even so much as quack, you'll return to your true form. Only water and a certain Heart Shard can turn you back into a human."

Duck squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. "That still doesn't make any sense!"

"The rest of the characters have taken their places in the story," the man's voice echoed around her, though she could no longer see him. "It's time you've taken yours…"

The vision inside the gear darkened, now showing a forest of dead trees. Duck peered closer.

A masked knight dressed in black with a brown cloak emerged from behind a tree, seemingly right in front of her.

Duck screamed, falling backwards. She landed out of the room in the stone corridor of the basement.

The old man's voice was barely a whisper. "… _Princess Tutu_ …"

Duck opened her eyes at the sound of Uzura's voice.

"Please wake up, Duck-zura!" the puppet child cried, shaking her shoulder.

Alarmed and perplexed, Duck sat up, eyes focusing on her friend. "Uzura?"

Uzura's face relaxed, but still looked concerned. "Are you ok, zura?"

Duck couldn't answer. She risked a glance at Mytho's sword, still in the room. Her mind was still reeling. She heard footsteps approaching and turned to look.

Edel was walking up to her, an expression of understanding on her face.

"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have gone in there!" Duck blurted out. "What happened to me?"

Edel tilted her head thoughtfully. "It seems as though you were chosen."

Chosen? Edel sounded like she knew what was going on, or at least was aware of it. The images flashed through Duck's mind again. Finally, she asked the burning question. "Miss Edel…am I really…a duck?"

The woman's face became sympathetic. "Yes."

Duck's eyes welled up and she hung her head. She knew there was a reason why she was terrible at ballet. Why she couldn't remember her family. Why she was never going to achieve her dreams. She felt Edel's hands cupping her wet cheeks.

"Duck," she said, tilting her face towards her. "Those who accept their fate will be granted happiness. Those who defy their fate will be granted glory."

Duck searched Edel's eyes as if they held the meaning behind her words, but they were glassy like Uzura's.

Edel then told her, "You may take the Prince's sword and return it to him."

The young girl stood up fast, fear squeezing her heart. "No! I can't! I can't do anything!" She ran off up the stairs despite Uzura's pleas to come back. Duck rushed out of the restaurant and a short distance into the woods. Not knowing where to go or who to turn to, she collapsed to her knees and sobbed.

"Duck-zura!"

Duck sniffed and got up. "Sorry, Uzura. I'm leaving."

Uzura frowned. "But I want to go with you, zura."

"No. You have to go back; the others will help you."

"Why, zura?"

Duck snapped, "Didn't you hear what Edel said? The real me is a duck! How can I possibly be any help to the Freedom Fighters or even Prince Mytho?"

Uzura flinched, eyes watering as she gazed sadly at her.

Regretting her outburst, Duck knelt down and pulled Uzura into a hug. "I'm sorry. But it's better for everyone if I'm not any part of this." She let go and stood back up. "Goodbye, Uzura."

"Wait!" Uzura reached into her pocket and took out a pretty red pendant. Her tiny hand held it out to her. "A present for you, zura."

Duck smiled warmly and took it. "Thank you," she murmured, putting the necklace on. She nodded a last farewell then walked away before new tears could spill down her face.

* * *

"Where's Duck?" Pike asked worriedly. She and Karon had followed Edel to the basement when none of their friends had returned after a while.

Edel gazed at them solemnly. "Duck has made her choice." She held out Prince Mytho's sword, now sheathed, to Pike. "You may return this to the Prince."

Karon wondered aloud, "Where'd you get that?"

"There is a time and place for everything," Edel said simply.

The blacksmith deflated. He reached for the sword. "Better let me handle this."

Pike swiped it and held it close, protesting, "But she gave it to me!"

Before Karon could argue, sounds of commotion came from the restaurant.

Edel glanced at the ceiling and announced calmly, "They're here."

The three of them made their way upstairs only to find that Final Draft members—crows and humans—had invaded and begun attacking everyone.

"Stay close, kid," Karon told her, taking out his knife. He lunged at the nearest crow soldier.

Pike hunched her shoulders and whimpered, "Wait, I need a weapon too!"

Edel stated mystically, "The pen is mightier than the sword."

"Oh yeah!" Pike realized. "I have a sword!" Carefully, she unsheathed the blade and held it up with both hands. Feeling a lot more confident, she fought alongside Karon.

Meanwhile outside the restaurant, Fakir arrived with reinforcements. One of his followers approached him and said, "Sir, the puppet was seen heading into the woods with a girl."

Fakir turned sharply in the direction of the dense forest.

* * *

Duck paused her trudging to analyze her surroundings. It seemed darker here despite the dappled sunlight through the trees. This didn't look like the way she had come at all. "Oh great," she moaned. "I'm not only useless, I'm also lost."

The sound of a sword unsheathing nearby made her flinch.

Her eyes darted around, but no one was there. Too scared to breathe, Duck crept around a large tree trunk only to see a dark figure striding towards her.

The knight from her vision.

Duck's heart skipped a beat in terror. She immediately ran the other way, stumbling a couple of times on bramble. She climbed a slope where a fallen log rested on top. Maybe if she hid under there…

But when she reached it, the knight was already in front of her with his sword pointed towards her chin. Duck froze.

"So, you're the girl I've heard about," he murmured, briefly glancing up and down at her.

"W-what do you want?" Duck's wide-eyed gaze kept flicking from his mask to his sword.

"The puppet. Where is it?"

She gulped. He must've wanted the Heart Shard. Could this be the same knight that Karon had told her about? The one from the story? Regardless, Duck wasn't going to put Uzura and her friends in danger, so she remained silent.

The knight trailed the blade gently down her neck and Duck shivered. She thought for sure he was going to pierce her pounding heart, but he just lifted her jewel pendant with the sword's tip. "The Heart Shard… You have it."

Duck's face matched the surprise in his voice and she took a glimpse at the necklace. All this time she thought it was just a regular gem. Did Uzura know that when she gave it to her? "I…do?"

* * *

Pike backed into the side of the house as crows closed in on her and Karon. She held her sword defensively, willing to fight until the end.

Which might not be that much longer.

There just seemed to be too many of them. The Final Draft had already rounded up most of the people from the restaurant to interrogate them. It was just then that Pike realized she didn't know what the Final Draft did to traitors, and she wasn't eager to find out.

"I can ride!" squealed a high-pitched voice that Pike thought she would never hear again. Lillie barreled through the crow soldiers on a horse, disintegrating them. She skidded the horse to a stop, flipped her blond ponytails back and asked Pike sincerely, "Did I miss all the tragedy?"

Pike stared, dumbfounded. "I…you… I thought you were dead?"

"Good heavens, no! If I die, who will appreciate all the misery that everyone is going through?"

Pike was too thankful for Lillie saving them, so she just rolled her eyes.

Karon pointed and spoke up in relief, "The rest of the Freedom Fighters are here too!"

Indeed, Freedom Fighters came charging in on horseback and on foot to come to the aid of the innocent. They put up a good fight, too. It seemed like the Final Draft had met its match.

Pike heard Lillie gasp. "Pike! Have you been battling?"

The pink-haired girl looked at the sword in her hand. "Oh, yeah I have. Sorta."

Lillie jumped down from the horse and threw her arms over her friend. "Oh you poor thing! You must be so wounded!"

Pike struggled to get her off. "I'm not really hurt—"

Lillie held her tighter. "I'm here now, you don't have to keep denying it!"

Pike exhaled in defeat.

* * *

 _How long did she have it?_ Fakir wondered. It didn't matter. He lowered his sword and stepped closer to the girl. His other hand reached for the pendant.

"No!" She clasped both hands around the jewel desperately. "I won't let you hurt Prince Mytho!"

He had to admire her bravery. After all, she seemed like just a normal girl who got mixed up in his war. The knight's larger hand wrapped around the necklace chains and yanked hard.

But the necklace didn't break off.

"What?" He saw the girl wince from the chain digging into her neck as he tried again, but even she seemed amazed that it wouldn't come off.

Fakir heard one of his men call out to him, "Sir! The Freedom Fighters are here!"

"Full retreat," he told him as he sheathed his sword, not taking his eyes off the girl. "And forget the puppet. We have what we need." He pinched the base of her neck and she lost consciousness, falling into his arms. With one hand under her knees and the other supporting her back, Fakir carried the lithe girl to his horse.

* * *

 **Please review!**


	5. The Duck and the Knight

**I just found out about Fakiru Week 2016. What a coincidence that today the prompt is "Force" and I've uploaded a chapter that parallels a famous Force scene in TFA! If it weren't for the fact that Duck and Fakir are enemies at this point, it could almost be considered my entry. Happy Fakiru Week!**

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Chapter 5: The Duck and the Knight

The Freedom Fighters cheered as they watched the Final Draft flee, but Karon's joy turned to distress, however, when he noticed Fakir in the distance. His son, now unrecognizable in his dark ensemble, walked up to his brown stallion…while carrying Duck. Karon was too far to do anything though. Fakir had always been too far to reach.

It seemed like Pike noticed them too. "No! Duck!" she screamed, running for her.

But Fakir had already mounted his steed with Duck in his arms and galloped away with the remaining Draft.

Pike sank to her knees. "No… He took her… She's gone…"

Karon placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder and said quietly, "I know. We'll get her back."

Pike looked hopeful. "We will?"

Lillie came to drag Pike away. "Yes, but not right now! You need to rest from all the crying you're about to do!"

Karon smiled and shook his head at them. Then he raised his eyes as a familiar woman walked over to him, and his grin vanished.

Raetsel stopped a short distance away, hands on her hips, looking stunned.

Karon straightened, not sure how to react. This was the first time he'd seen his wife since they agreed to a separation. What would she say to him? What would _he_ say? Despite their hardships, he knew his feelings for her hadn't changed, but always wondered if hers had. The uncomfortable silence between them stretched until it was broken by someone jumping into view.

"Oh my! If it isn't Karon!" the ever-flamboyant Femio announced. He pinched his face in overdramatic sorrow. "Alas, you have come back for your love, so my attempts to sweep her off her feet must come to an end!"

Karon bristled. "What?"

Raetsel put a hand over her face, looking embarrassed. "Not now, Femio."

"But my lady, was it not so uncouth of him to leave?" Femio threw himself to the ground in front of her, holding out a rose. "It is my desire to make everyone feel loved, all the time!"

Freedom Fighter or not, Karon briefly considered pulling his knife on him. But Uzura thankfully interrupted by going up to Femio and tugging on his sleeve.

"What does that mean, zura?" she asked.

Femio stood up and let Uzura lead him away as he started to explain proudly, "You see, Uzura, a prince such as myself has so much love to give…"

Now that they were alone again, Karon worked up the courage to speak up. "You tied your hair back," he noticed, trying to sound casual.

Raetsel made a small smirk. "Same apron?" she asked.

He glanced at his dirty green smock and chuckled quietly, "No. New apron." The small talk made him comfortable enough to inform her of more urgent matters. His face became serious again and he moved closer to her. "Raetsel, I saw our son. He was here."

Her eyes clouded with sadness, but before she could say anything, Lillie appeared.

"Not to worry, everyone! We now have the Heart Shard!" The girl gestured to Uzura. "Go on! Take it out!"

Uzura looked confused as she rummaged through her pockets. "What Heart Shard, zura?"

Lillie laughed. "The one I gave you for safekeeping, silly!"

The puppet stared blankly.

"It was a red jewel on a necklace, remember?"

"Ohh!" Uzura smiled in realization. "The one I gave to Duck-zura?"

"The whaaa?" Lillie's mouth hung open. She quickly composed herself. "Well, at least I didn't lose it!"

Everyone else groaned in disappointment and Raetsel shook her head. "Why did I think it would be easy to find Mytho?" she muttered.

Karon held her shoulders, and to his surprise she didn't shake him off. "Raetsel, I know you blame yourself for what happened to Fakir, but it's not your fault."

"Yes it is," she insisted, her voice breaking. "I should never have reminded him of his Story Spinning powers. That's when I lost both of you."

"No. There was too much of Drosselmeyer in him." Karon hesitated, his words almost too difficult to say. "I'm afraid our son is gone for good."

But Raetsel stated firmly, "I don't believe it. The Raven may be manipulating Fakir, but we can still save him."

Karon was doubtful. "How?"

Raetsel held his gaze. "You're his father."

He made a small smile. After all this time, his wife still believed in him. He pulled her into a hug and held her for a long while.

Raetsel slipped her arms around his waist and buried her head in his shoulder. She sighed. "I always hated watching you leave. I missed you."

He stroked her hair, savoring the familiar light floral scent that clung to it. "Me too," he admitted.

Her voice was now barely above a whisper. "If you see our son when you go rescue that girl… Bring him home."

* * *

Duck's eyes fluttered open to a bright lamp hanging above her. She stirred, finding herself strapped to a chair in a small storage room. A few shelves were crammed with books. "Where am I?" she said to herself. Her mind was still groggy from having just woken up.

"You're my guest," said a dry voice, and then she saw him. The dark knight from her vision—from the forest, now that she remembered—was crouching in front of the door, watching her.

Duck's head cleared and her suspicion returned. "Where are my friends?"

"I have no idea. Nor do I care at the moment."

She studied him curiously. Had he been just waiting for her to wake up the whole time?

He tilted his head slightly. "You're tense," he remarked.

Feeling bold, Duck stated matter-of-factly, "That happens when you've been kidnapped by a stranger in a mask."

The knight said nothing. He simply stood up and removed his hood with one hand, and with the other he lifted the metal mask off his face.

Duck blinked in surprise. All this time she had been picturing a disfigured monster, but he looked completely normal. The knight was just a young man, probably not much older than her. His thick, dark green hair was tied in a small ponytail at the base of his neck while long bangs fell across his tanned face. His eyes, though, were focused and intense.

He started to walk towards her, and Duck found herself needing to avert her eyes from his burning gaze. He stood beside her and asked, "What do you know about the Heart Shard?"

Trembling, she still didn't look at him as she responded truthfully, "It was a gift."

"It's the only Heart Shard that can lead anyone to Prince Mytho," the boy stated, surprising her by untying her left hand. "We've been trying to recover the other Shards as well, but we really need that one first."

"Wait, I thought you didn't want Mytho to get his heart back," Duck pointed out.

He scoffed, "I never said I wanted to give Mytho the Heart Shards." Holding up a notebook, he began flipping through the pages. "Somehow, the one you have cannot be removed by an outside force. You have to hand it over yourself." He knelt down to rest the book on his knee.

Now at eye level, she found the courage to narrow her gaze at him. "I'm not giving you anything."

The knight gave a tiny smirked. "We'll see." With a feathered pen in his hand, he started to write.

Duck felt movement in her free hand and when she looked down, she saw it shifting on its own. "No!" She clenched her fist tried to force it back down, but it slowly made its way up to her pendant. Briefly, she thought about removing it to get it over with, but she shook her head firmly, knowing he was putting such a thought into her mind. She willed herself to think of something else and keep her hand from even touching the necklace.

To her surprise, she heard the knight grunt, "How are you doing that?"

She looked at him quizzically.

He was staring into her eyes, but his hand was writing across the page, as if on its own. He glanced at the words. "Your thoughts and feelings… They're spilling out onto the page…"

"I'm not doing anything," she claimed.

"You're imagining the ballet academy. And that traitor, Pike. And Karon…" He gave his head a little shake. "If you knew him long enough, he would've disappointed you."

"Stop reading my mind!"

"Just give me the Heart Shard!"

Duck glowered at him. "Never!"

The young man leaned closer and returned the glare. "I'll take what I want!" He seemed to regain control of his pen and continued to write even more furiously than before.

Fear filled through Duck's mind. Afraid for her friends. Afraid that she couldn't do anything to help the Freedom Fighters and Mytho. Afraid of going back to being just a poor ballet student, or worse: a duck. And the scariest part was that she wasn't sure if these were the knight's planted thoughts, or her own. She recoiled, but had nowhere to go. Trying to resist was becoming painful, and a few tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I feel it too," she heard him whisper; though it was so quiet she might've imagined it.

Duck felt her fingers wrap tightly around the pendant but forced herself not to panic. She had no idea where her strength was coming from, but it took all of it to fight back. A moment ago, she was able to influence the knight's writing. Maybe she could do it again.

And so Duck closed her eyes and thought fervently, _I won't give up the Heart Shard. Prince Mytho needs all the help he can get. I won't let him down. It's true that I'm afraid of a lot of things, but so is everyone._ Then it hit her. _So is everyone…_ She peered at the boy, who continued to grimace at the page as if he had encountered difficulty again. "What are _you_ afraid of?"

He snapped his head up. "Nothing," he seethed.

There. She was onto something. Now really curious, Duck pondered out loud, "You're obsessed with _The Prince and the Raven_ , and you like to control people through the stories you write. The only other person I know who was able to do that was…"

"Shut up!" The knight tried using his other hand to hold the writing one in place.

"That's it," Duck realized. "You're afraid that you'll never be as strong as Drosselmeyer!"

He finally managed to slam the notebook shut. Sweat was beading on his forehead and for the first time since she saw him, his green eyes were filled with horror. He gritted his teeth, anger returning to his features once again, and stood up. "Idiot. I'll be back." With that, he stormed out of the room.

* * *

"The ballet student resisted you?!" roared the Raven.

Fakir defended, "I don't know how she does it, but it's like I can only write about her when she's in control." He thought he replied with what seemed to be usual assurance. No one else would have sensed a difference.

The Raven did. "You have compassion for her."

Fakir hesitated in surprise. "No. Never," he denied. "Compassion? For an enemy?" It was unthinkable to him.

"It isn't her strength that is making you fail: it's your weakness."

His palms were beginning to sweat inside his gloves, but he refused to break eye contact. Whatever accusations the Raven was testing him with, they weren't true. "I'm telling you, there's something special about this girl."

The Raven narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "And what of the Freedom Fighters?"

Secretly relieved that the Raven hadn't pressed him further, Fakir was about to respond when he heard Autor's voice behind him, much to his chagrin.

" _Fakir_ thought it wasn't necessary to fight them," his comrade said smugly as he strolled up beside him. "He thought it was more important to capture the girl rather than eliminate the Freedom Fighters or follow them to their base."

Fakir turned his face away from him, hoping Autor couldn't see the colour rushing to his cheeks. Ever since taking up the mantle, he rarely showed his face to anyone. How he wished he had brought his mask to conceal his embarrassment.

Autor went on proudly, "However, I knew he would slip up, so I took it upon myself to send a spy to sneak after the enemies. We now have the location of the Freedom Fighters' hideout."

The Raven's rage started to fade. "Good work, Autor. You may attack when ready."

Fakir suppressed a protest. Instead, he spoke up, "Master, I can still get the Heart Shard from the girl. You just have to tell me what to do."

"If this girl is as special as you say she is," the Raven growled, "bring her to me…"

* * *

 **For those of you who aren't aware, I'm also including some parts from the TFA novelization that I feel are important enough and should have been in the movie. Please let me know what you liked/didn't like in this chapter!**


	6. A Father's Love

**Sorry, I meant to upload this chapter early this morning, but I had Internet problems.**

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Chapter 6: A Father's Love

The sky had darkened by the time Pike, Karon, and Lillie reached the library. Since it was closed, the Final Draft had no problem stationing four of its guards at the entrance. Pike and her friends hid behind a nearby building to discuss their plan.

"You used to work for them, Pike. Got any ideas?" Karon asked.

She frowned and admitted, "I was only there for a week. And every day Princess Kraehe made me clean out the horses' stalls."

Karon didn't hide his frustration. "Great," he muttered.

Lillie spoke up casually, "You know, it feels like yesterday that me and Pike busted out of that place."

"It was this morning," Pike corrected dryly.

Now Karon seemed mildly interested. "Really? How?"

Pike noticed the horses tied up in the same place as before and she was struck with an idea. "The same way we're gonna bust in."

After quickly explaining the plan, Pike led them to the side of the library where the horses were. While Karon and Lillie were keeping watch, Pike untied them and smacked their rears to send them galloping away.

"Hey! Get back here!" she heard the guards yell. To her delight, all four of them ran after the horses.

"Nice work," Karon said. "Just one question: what are we gonna get away on?"

Pike's confidence deflated. "Oh."

He shook his head. "Never mind, we'll think of that later. Let's just hurry."

They ran inside and Pike led them to the very back, saying, "The stairs to the basement are just over here." But when she rounded the last bookcase, she stopped dead in her tracks.

Princess Kraehe was standing in front of the door to the stairs with a knowing smirk on her face. "So, you decided to return for your friend, did you? How predictable." She started to twirl her arms, creating a black wind.

Pike gulped. They were done for, she knew it.

Which is why she was greatly surprised when the nearest bookcase toppled over on the dark princess.

Dust went flying, and Pike heard Karon say, "Hey, it actually worked." She looked over and saw him standing where the bookcase used to.

But movement from the rubble caught her attention and she noticed Kraehe crawl out from the broken wood and books. She wasted no time in grabbing hold of her arm while Lillie grabbed the other.

Kraehe coughed and rasped, "You can't be so stupid enough to think this will stop me."

Pike picked up a heavy book. "I disagree." She knocked it over the princess' head, and Kraehe went limp.

"Now you're getting the hang of it, Pike!" Lillie praised.

Karon rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That'll keep her out of our way for a while, but we should still hide her so no one catches on to us. Pike, didn't you mention horse stalls a moment ago?"

A devilish grin crept up on her face that she knew Lillie would be proud of, and Pike replied, "Yeah, I did…"

* * *

Duck struggled against the ropes, but it was in vain. Even with one hand free, she couldn't loosen the thick ties. "Why'd I have to be so bad with knots?" she complained. Finally, she hung her head in defeat. "It's no use. I'm just a duck after all."

Her eyes flew open. What was it the old man had said in her vision?

 _If you even so much as quack, you'll return to your true form…_

She really didn't want to do it, but time was running out. This might be her only shot.

Duck took a deep breath and said, "…Quack."

Her body glowed bright red and she felt the ropes slip away from her. In a couple seconds, she was smaller, yellow, and very feathery. Duck was now standing web-footed on the seat of the chair and her clothes had fallen around her, with only the Heart Shard still around her neck.

"This is so weird," she remarked. It felt different and familiar at the same time. Remembering she had to hurry, she asked herself, "Now what was it that creepy old man said about how to return to being human? Water and a Heart Shard?" She swept her gaze around the room.

To her immense disappointment, the room seemed to only contain extra books that the library didn't have space for. Whatever she was expecting to find containing water, it wasn't there. She sighed, trying to think.

Then, a drip. It was so quiet and tiny that she almost missed it. Duck hopped off the chair and followed the sound to a corner of the room. A small leak in the roof was dripping water from one of the rafters. "Aha!" She stood underneath the spot and anxiously waited for the next drop. It landed right on her beak.

She glowed scarlet again and soon was back in her human form. "I did it!" she squealed excitedly. Then she realized she was bare, glanced over at her clothes and added, "I better not do it with anyone watching." Duck quickly started to get dressed, really hoping the knight wouldn't walk in on her now.

When she was clothed, Duck headed for the door and peeked outside. There weren't any guards, so she slowly crept out of the room and started down one hallway.

"He said he'd be back, but hopefully not from this way," she mumbled to herself. Duck turned a corner and nearly jumped out of her skin when she bumped into someone. "Quaa—"

"Duck!" Pike exclaimed. She hugged her friend. "Are you ok? How did you escape?"

"Uh… It's a long story," Duck said sheepishly. She smiled at Pike and Karon. "I'm fine. Thanks for coming to get me." She was nearly knocked off balance when a blond girl glomped her.

"She is not fine, Pike!" the girl declared in her airy voice. "She's just being brave for us! Oh, she is so cute!"

Duck stared in confusion at Pike, who sighed, "That's just Lillie. You'll get used to her." She shrugged. "Maybe."

Karon spoke up, "I hate to interrupt the reunion, but we gotta go."

* * *

Fakir strode down the corridor towards the interrogation room. He wasn't sure what was going to happen if he brought the girl to the Raven. What if the girl was actually an integral part of the story?

"I guess the Raven will tell me," he figured. He came to the room and opened the door…only to find the girl was gone.

Fakir's anger blazed. "No…" He growled, drawing his sword in frustration. He couldn't go back to the Raven empty-handed. "Damn it!" The young knight slashed his sword through the chair, cleaving it in two.

There was a chance the girl was still in the library, so he wasted no time in heading out of the room to search for her. If he found her once, he would find her again.

* * *

Duck and her friends stopped short of the next corner when they heard many footsteps traveling in their direction.

"Now what?" Karon whispered.

Lillie squeaked, "We're doomed."

Pike seemed to think quickly. "We can't go out the way we came in, but there might be one other way." She led them back a few paces and through a rusty door. "We can climb up the stairs and exit on the roof."

Duck paused to glance up the tall staircase, illuminated only by moonlight shining in through the large windows on each landing; she counted ten stories high. "That's gonna take forever," she mumbled, but followed Pike and Lillie. To her surprise, Karon stayed behind at the door. "Karon? Aren't you coming?"

He looked at her over his shoulder. "I'll hold them off long enough for you three to make it to the top." Karon gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I won't be too far behind you."

Duck smiled and nodded at him. "Thanks." She went after the other girls. After making it up three flights, she began to hear fighting sounds from below. Duck forced herself to look at where she was going. _Karon can handle himself_ , she affirmed.

Lillie seemed to be slowing down in front of her. "Oh, the pain!" she panted, hands on her knees. "You'll have to go on without me."

Pike grabbed her arm and hauled her up. "Stop being so dramatic."

"But it's fun!"

They only had a few flights to go when Duck heard footsteps thudding not too far below her. _That must be Karon!_ She risked a glance, but was shocked to see it was the young knight instead, moonlight reflecting off his mask. She pumped her legs faster. "Guys, hurry!"

Now he was only two stories away and closing in fast.

Then Duck realized that once they reached the top, they would be trapped on the roof and the knight would surely corner them. She was about to tell them, but once they made it to the door to the roof, a loud voice echoed out from below.

" _Fakir!_ "

It was Karon.

Duck froze and looked over the railing. From her peripherals she saw Pike and Lillie watching as well.

The knight had stopped on the eighth landing and slowly turned to face Karon, who was at the bottom of the one below him. "Karon," he stated coldly. "I had a feeling you were part of this."

Karon caught his breath and told him, "Take off that mask- you don't need it."

"What do you think you'll see?"

"The face of my son," he replied firmly.

To Duck's surprise, Fakir complied. After removing his hood and dropping his mask, the boy snarled, "Your son is gone. He was a failure, but I am the fearless knight from _The Prince and the Raven_."

"That's what the Raven wants you to believe, but it's not true."

Fakir flared. "No. The Raven is smarter than all of us."

Karon moved a couple steps up and continued sternly, "Don't you see that the Raven is only using you for your power? Once he gets what he wants he'll kill you, just as it happened in the book."

Duck's breath hitched. How could she have forgotten? _The knight dies in the story…_

It looked like Fakir hesitated. "That won't happen," he said, though he didn't sound as convinced.

"That's right, it won't…" Karon took a few more steps. "…If you come home and put away your sword. We miss you."

Though it was hard to see, Fakir appeared conflicted. His shoulders were shaking subtly, and when he spoke his voice was pained. "I know what I have to do but I don't know if I have the strength to do it. Will you help me?"

His father stepped onto the landing until they were both in the light of the moon. "Of course," was his loving response.

Fakir unsheathed his sword and slowly extended it to Karon by the hilt.

Duck almost couldn't believe it. This was a side of Fakir she didn't think existed, and her heart ached in sympathy for him. She was also proud of Karon for going so far after choosing not to get involved in the story.

Darkness fell over the two as a cloud obscured the moon, but Duck could still see Karon reach out for the weapon.

Only for Fakir to run it through Karon's chest.

" _No!_ " Duck cried as Pike and Lillie screamed. She was too shocked, too heartbroken to do anything but watch through her tearful eyes.

"Thank you," Fakir said shakily. He yanked out the blade.

Karon's knees buckled and he held onto the railing for support. In his last moment he gazed at his son, though there was only tender concern on his face. He gently touched Fakir's cheek before his life slipped away. Karon fell over the railing and into the darkness of the stairwell.

Fakir steadied himself, apparently stunned by what happened. Had he been in control of himself? Or was there someone else…? He finally glared up at the three girls.

"Go! Run!" Duck heard Pike shout. Her legs felt like rubber, but she tore away and followed her friends through the doors and into the open air.

* * *

 **The fanfic is almost complete! Please review and stay tuned for the last chapter!**


	7. Princess Tutu

**This is the final chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 7: Princess Tutu

The slide down the gutter pipe had been difficult, but once they reached the bottom, Duck and her companions had no trouble in running away from the library. Duck had suggested cutting through the forest, but when they got there…

"This isn't exactly what I had in mind," Duck said uneasily, eyeing the leafless trees and dense fog.

Pike reasoned hastily, "This is the closest part of the forest and right now we have no choice."

Lillie patted Duck's head. "Don't worry, Duck. I'll be right here for when you freak out."

Duck gulped and reluctantly followed them into the dead woods. She was still overcome with emotion and eventually had to wipe the fresh tears off her face. When she looked up, her friends were gone. "Pike? Lillie?"

Pike's voice responded, "Duck? Where are you?"

Duck followed the voice and gradually Pike came into view through the fog. "Sorry, I almost lost you."

"We should all stick together." Pike then frowned and glanced around. "Hey, where's Lillie?"

Duck gasped, "I thought she was with you." She kept walking with Pike. "Lillie? Where'd you go?"

Pike groaned, "I can't believe she disappeared on me _again_."

The fog was starting to dissipate in this part of the forest. They came to a clearing and froze when they saw a figure standing a few feet away. But it wasn't Lillie.

Fakir was still, aside from his cape billowing in the subtle wind. He held his bloodstained sword in front of him and spoke, "We're not done yet."

Duck felt angry tears forming in her eyes. "You're a monster!"

"Karon can't help you now," Fakir reminded coldly.

That did it. Duck charged at the knight, ignoring Pike's protest, in an attempt to tackle him.

But Fakir's reflexes were faster and with one hand he simply pushed her to the ground.

Duck cried out and lied still. Her hands and legs were stinging from being scraped against rocks and twigs. She opened her eyes slightly when Pike yelled her name but she was too afraid to move.

"Traitor!" Fakir spat to her friend.

She watched as Pike drew Prince Mytho's sword in defense.

Fakir started towards the girl with gritted teeth. "That sword belongs to me."

"Come get it, jerk," Pike taunted.

Duck wanted to tell Pike to run, but even her mouth seemed paralyzed in fear. The swordfight played out in front of her.

Fakir attacked savagely, but Pike managed to block him. Her spirits lifted when Pike actually grazed Fakir's shoulder with her blade. But this only made Fakir's strikes more merciless, pushing her back further across the clearing until she lost her balance. With one powerful blow, Fakir sent Mytho's sword flying into the sky and he kicked Pike in the torso.

Duck winced as Pike hit her head on a rock and didn't get up. "Pike?" she breathed. Worried for her friend, she staggered to her feet.

Fakir stared up at Mytho's sword as it spun down towards him and held out his hand for it.

 _I can't let him get that sword!_ Duck's eyes narrowed in determination and she started to bolt across the clearing. _I may be a duck, but I can still dance!_ Using all her might, she leaped into the air. "I am Princess Tutu!"

Time seemed to slow as a bright light engulfed her. Duck closed her eyes and curled up, letting the transformation take over. When she unfurled herself, she felt brand new and confident. Along with that came a strong sense of inner peace that washed away any previous feelings of anger and revenge.

She soared above Fakir, showering pink petals everywhere, and caught the hilt of Mytho's sword in her hand. She landed gracefully at the tree line. Stunned that she actually did it, she took a moment to notice her beautiful white tutu and pink toe-shoes. When she looked back at Fakir, his face was filled with the same wonder.

"It _is_ you," he said in amazement.

Princess Tutu had no idea what he meant, but it seemed like he knew more about her than she did. Having no desire for physical combat, she stuck the sword into the ground beside her and held her hand out to him. "Please dance with me, Fakir."

He looked taken aback. "What?"

"So I can find out why you're acting this way," she clarified. "I'll help you."

For a moment she thought he might accept. But then his face hardened and he twirled his sword into a fighting stance. "I don't need your help. And I don't dance anymore." He lunged at her.

Tutu grabbed Mytho's sword and spun out of the way. She tried again. "Please. We do not need to fight like this."

"Then let me take you to the Raven!"

"I'm sorry, I cannot let you do that." She gracefully dodged another blow. There had to be some way to get through to him.

* * *

Soldiers of the Final Draft looked about from the top of the library, searching for the insurgents. Wherever they were, Fakir must have taken care of them. In the distance, they caught sight of a small flame. As it drew closer, it became apparent that the flame was actually a torch carried by an over-enthusiastic blonde girl.

"Oooh, such a wonderful night for a bonfire!" cooed Lillie as she tossed the torch through a window. The fire quickly spread to the bookshelves and crept up the structure. "Yes, save yourselves from this brilliant tragedy!" Several soldiers began escaping the blazing building.

"Everyone, get back to your stations!" yelled a soldier while he tried pouring water on the flames.

Another soldier who was leaving with his belongings cried, "Don't you see? We won't survive this! Even Autor is gone!"

Autor, meanwhile, had hurried into the Raven's domain at the first sign of danger. "Raven! The library's burning and is about to collapse!"

The Raven's eyes furrowed in grimness, yet he calmly ordered, "Leave the library and bring the Knight to me." His tone grew darker as he added, "His story must be completed."

* * *

Tutu twirled and vines sprouted from her shoes, lifting her high in the air. "Did killing your father resolve the conflict within you, Fakir?" she inquired. She circled the knight in an attempt to trap him.

"Yes—no—I don't know!" Frustrated, Fakir hacked through the vines and she fell.

Though she landed on her feet, Tutu wasn't prepared to evade his next strike. Instead, she blocked with her magic fan.

Fakir held her in the lock and pinned her back against a tree.

The princess struggled to push him away, but Fakir edged closer. Her arms and shoulders were aching and she almost considered giving up.

"You need a writer!" he surprised her by saying. "I can show you how to change your fate!"

What fate? What was going to happen to her? "Those who defy their fate…" she whispered, remembering Edel's words. Tutu closed her eyes in concentration. _I won't be able to protect Prince Mytho if I'm defeated. This is not my fate! I have to win!_ When she looked, she saw her optimistic face reflected in Fakir's moonlit eyes.

Her courage restored, Tutu released her push the same time as she slipped out of the way, causing Fakir's sword to cut into the tree. She spun on her toes again, blanketing the ground in a bed of flower petals. By the time Fakir had gotten his weapon free, Princess Tutu was dancing in the center of the clearing.

Fakir charged at her again, but Tutu was ready. Timing just right, she grasped his wielding hand with her left, holding it in place above her head.

The young knight grunted in surprise and mirrored the action by seizing her wielding hand.

The two of them circled, each trying to get the other to break out of the stalemate. Tutu wondered if this was as close as they were going to get to a pas de deux.

Eventually, Tutu let go and flipped over Fakir's head. She was no longer in his grip when she landed behind him. As soon as he turned around, she used her fan to send his sword flying out of his hand.

"Aah!" Fakir cried out as his blade grazed his forearm on its way past him. He collapsed, pressing one hand to his injury, and stared up at her in either awe or fright.

Tutu herself was shocked. She never meant to hurt him, even by accident. She wondered if she should help, but then she heard the nearby voices of Final Draft members calling their leader's name. _He'll live to fight another day,_ she concluded.

With one last glance at the fallen knight, she dashed over to where Pike was still lying and reverted to her normal girl form. Since she was still unconscious, Duck swung one of Pike's arms over her shoulders and lifted her. "Ugh, how am I gonna get us out of here?" she grumbled.

She nearly jumped when Lillie galloped in out of nowhere on a horse. "Duck! Look what I found!" Lillie's hands flew to her face and she gasped. "Oh no! Pike's dead?! Aww, I missed it!"

"Gah! Shhh!" Duck quickly checked around to make sure nobody heard. "She's just knocked out. Let's get out of here!"

The two of them carried Pike onto the horse and got on behind her. Then they rode off into the fog and disappeared.

The Freedom Fighters warmly welcomed them back and immediately took Pike to their nurse. Most of them congratulated Lillie on burning down the library, which was what Lillie explained to Duck as the reason for her absence.

A tall woman with brown hair approached her. "Hello, my name is Raetsel. You must be Duck, right?"

Duck nodded. "Yeah. How did you know?"

"My husband told me. He went with Pike and Lillie to rescue you." She looked around expectantly before resting her eyes on Duck. "Karon?" she asked anxiously, as if dreading the answer.

Duck's face fell. She shook her head solemnly.

Tears pooled in Raetsel's eyes and she wrapped her arms tightly around Duck.

The young girl hugged her back and also began to cry. They stayed consoling each other for a long moment.

* * *

It wasn't until the next morning that Duck decided to go look for Mytho. She got many farewells from the Freedom Fighters, especially from a creepy guy named Femio. Duck already said her goodbyes to Uzura, Lillie, and Pike, who was now awake but still recovering.

Lastly, Raetsel came to give her a parting hug. "Good luck, Princess," she whispered with a knowing smile.

Duck's eyes shined. "Thank you." And with that, she headed out.

She found that when she was actively looking for the Prince, her Heart Shard would glow softly if she was going in the right direction. This eventually led her to the town gate. She paused, peering up at the massive wooden door.

"Strange, I've never thought of actually leaving the town," Duck noted. She pulled on the handle, but the door wouldn't open. _Huh, that's funny…_ There didn't seem to be any other way through. She had to go over it. A brief transformation into Princess Tutu and she was easily over the wall, thanks to her powers.

"I wonder what this place is," she mused, entering the forest. The clouds were thicker here, casting the whole area in so much darkness that it almost looked like evening. She carefully kept walking. Suddenly her pendant glowed brighter and she looked up.

A tall figure was standing at the edge of a dark lake right in front of her.

Duck crept closer until the person became clearer.

His back was turned to her, but she could see he was wearing a brown cloak that was torn at the edges. His snow-white hair swayed gently in the light breeze. Finally, as if he sensed something, he turned around.

Duck stopped, locking her eyes with his golden ones. _Prince Mytho…_ He was as handsome as she had imagined. She wanted to say something, anything, but words were stuck in her throat.

Mytho stared at her vacantly.

 _His eyes… They look so lonely,_ Duck thought, frowning in sympathy. Hoping he would comprehend why she was there, she removed the leather strap from her shoulder and extended the Prince's sheathed sword to him with both hands.

Mytho's gaze drifted to his sword, then back to her. His face barely changed, but it was like he understood.

Duck continued to hold out the sword pleadingly. _Don't worry, Prince Mytho,_ she thought, _I promise to help get your heart back. Then you can finally stop the Raven and give everyone a happy ending._

The End

* * *

 **So what did you think? I was planning on writing a sequel once Star Wars: Episode 8 comes out, but seeing as this story wasn't very popular, now I'm not sure. I still thank anyone who actually read this story and especially those who reviewed. Take care!**


	8. Author's Note: Sequel Announcement!

**Hi everyone who has read this story or just discovered it! This is just a note to let you know that the first chapter of the sequel will be posted Monday July 16 2018. If you have read this story when I first published it I suggest you re-read it because I recently revised all the chapters, especially the last one. For those who had to wait so long for a sequel, thank you SO MUCH for your patience! Don't forget to check back on Monday for "Princess Tutu: The Last Hero"!**


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